fastness, strength, cunning
by uniabocetaP
Summary: Eowyn must pass a series of tests if she wants to be trained in sword fighting by her older brother.


_This story is in my PC for over a year. I finally decided to publish it. Enjoy! And remember comments are welcome :)_

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><p>Éowyn was sitting on the fence wrapped around the training grounds, watching her brother, Éomer, practice sword fighting in the sun. She had snuck away from her training: the art of embroidery. She hated the endless "needle-fighting", her name for the ever boring lessons she was <em>forced<em> to have with the old nanny. At the age of ten she could not understand why she had to have boring lessons such as cooking, sewing and gardening. She wanted the same lessons as her brother; sword fighting, fist fighting, and tactical arrangements on the battlefield. At least she could go out riding every day with Éomer. Éowyn loved galloping on the fields surrounding Edoras; just the two of them: it made her feel carefree. Unfortunately, afterwards she had to join him in algebra lessons. She hated numbers almost as much as she hated needles.

She sighed as she watched Éothain getting beaten by her brother. He was not much older than her-maybe three years, she could never remember-but Éowyn was better at rock throwing than him. She was almost as fast as him, too. All the kids of Edoras liked throwing rocks at birds or apples sitting atop high trees. She would miss one bird in five throws; he would miss half the birds he wanted to hit. The fact that he could practice sword fighting, when she could not, was infuriating. It infuriated her almost as much as the fact that Éothain insisted in addressing her as _Young Lady. _

Her angry and somewhat jealous thoughts were interrupted by loud cheers. It seemed that Éomer was the winner._ Éomer is the best sword fighter. Everyone seems to think so. Maybe he will surpass Théodred too; of course he will. He is my brother after all, _she thought. Éowyn noticed that the boys were leaving the training ground. She hurried down from her place and and began to follow them from a distance. She knew that generally her brother overlooked her mischief, but after he was told that he would join Théodred's éored he acted more _responsibly. _At least when others where around.

The boys did not take the fastest route home: they practically went over the whole of Edoras. Some of them teased random girls. They even blew kisses to some of them; gross!Those girls where older by her, but responded more foolishly than she would. They all just giggled among themselves and hid behind their long sleeves. A girl even blushed when Éomer winked at her, while her friends chattered like foolish hens. _Stupid girls, that's not the way to respond to them; I would just kick them right to their soft spot._

Finally they arrived at the grand staircase that led up to Menduseld. _At last. _There Éomer parted from the others. When the other boys were out of site she hurried up to join him.

"Éomer! Wait for me!" she shouted to him. He turned around and waited for her. When the girl reached him, he opened his arms to hug her but she took a few steps back.

"Eeeww, you smell awful! No hugs for you until you get your bath!" she shouted at him with her best impression of their grumpy old Nanny.

Her brother laughed. "Why are you here? Don't you have anything better to do than following me around all day?"

"I did not follow you around all day!" responded angrily "I only saw your last spar with Éothain and then followed you up here… How could you know? I thought I was well hidden behind you all the time."

"I didn't know up until now. You just told me everything."

"You tricked me!" Éowyn yelled at him and tried to give him a punch to his arm, one that he avoided easily.

"You are slow little sister!"

"I am not! I am certainly faster than Éothain or any of those hens you talked to earlier."

"You shouldn't talk about them like that. What would Nanny told if she heard you?" Éomer trying to sound like a scowling big brother, but his grin belied that impression. "But you are not faster than Éothain."

"Well then _I_ would be if _I_ was allowed to practice sword fighting and not sewing all day." Frowned Éowyn and crossed her arms in her chest. Then she had an idea. A brilliant idea. _Why didn't I think of it earlier? _"Éomer! You know that you are the best older brother that exists in the whole world? Not even in Valar is there a brother cleverer, stronger, agiler, handso…"

"What do you want?" Éomer cut her off suspiciously.

"Am I not allowed to say how perfect you are? Is it a crime telling your perfect older brother how much you admire and love him?"

"A crime no, but you only say those things to me when you want something a lot. So tell me, what you want?" he asked Éowyn, stopping in the middle of the staircase until he got her answer.

"Well…I want you to teach me sword fighting!" Éowyn answered quickly and practically under her breath. _Why am I acting _now_ like a scared cat? I am not afraid of anything. _"I want to learn to use a sword. Properly, like you do, not with a wooden sword like the one you gave me a few years ago. And you can do it. You are better than the rest. Could you? Will you?" said in a more study and confident tone now.

Éomer didn't reply immediately but studied her face for a while. _She is growing older, _he thought, _she is going to be a beautiful, fearless and stubborn woman. More importantly she will be a strong descendant of Eorl's line. _But he kept those thoughts to himself. "All right, I will find a way for you to practice sword fighting."

A grin emerged on her face. "But," continued Éomer, "you have to prove me that you are able for that kind of training."

"I am! Let's begin right away!"

"You have to prove me three things," he continued as if ignoring her "Firstly, you must show to me that you are fast; you need to be able to avoid any hit at any time. Then you must prove to me that you are strong. If you lack strength your armor will kill you instead of saving you in a battlefield." _Why am I telling her those things? She is not going to be a battlefield, or see one from afar in her life. _

"A piece of cake."His little sister said with confidence "What is the last thing I have to prove you?"

"You must be _cunning_, and a quick thinker under pressure. Can you prove to me that you have those qualities?"

"Of course!" _She is overconfident like always, _he thought. "Even though your friend, Éothain, surely does not possess those qualities. He can't." Éowyn continued stubbornly.

"Watch your tongue! He is my best friend. What is your problem with him? I love him like my brother." _Maybe that's your problem. _When Éowyn merely raised her chin with defiance and looked away, to hide wet eyes from him, he was sure that was the right answer. _You are a jealous little brat, _hethought with affection. "Fine then, keep your secrets. Do you want to hear your first task?" she only nodded as a response. "Okay then, go and catch a cat for me!" she didn't answer again, but sprinted down the stairs. "You have only an hour! Until nightfall!" he shouted after her and she waved her hand to show him that she had understood. _Damn you Éowyn and damn your tears. I didn't want to put you such an easy test, _he thought as he watched her run off.

_To catch a cat? Really brother? _Éowyn thought as she began to run around Édoras. _I have caught a million cats before now. _That was easy, and not a piece of cake as she had stated earlier; the time-factor made the task a bit more difficult but she was sure she would make it. _Maybe he thought I was useless like Éothain. _In this thought she felt a hand grasp her heart. It hurt her when Éomer called him brother. She had almost cried. _That's why he spends more time in his company than mine? That's why he doesn't play with me anymore? _

She stopped her unhappy musings when she saw a black cat passing in front of her. She focused on her movements. It seemed that the cat was heavy with kittens, her belly was really large and she moved sulkily watching for food around the local tavern. Éowyn was really like that she found a cat here. The lady that had the tavern was leaving food around her property because she wanted to attract the cats. She never wanted to have mice in her cellar and the cats where a good way to get rid of them. That meant that she could catch the cat while she was distracted eating. However she should be careful because she steal was fast.

The cat found the hidden food that there was at the back of the tavern. Éowyn followed her carefully keeping a distance in order to not upset her and sprint away. She let the cat smell her food and try it. Sometimes the cats could be picky; that meant that she could lost her chance of catching her. But the cat was satisfied with the food and started eating it. She let her savor some bites and then sprung at her like she had done many times before. _Success! _She thought as she run to the castle holding an angry cat in her lap.

Éomer had enough time to bathe, change and seek his cousin. Luckily for him he found Théodred in the kitchens looking for something to eat like himself. There he narrated to him Éowyn's request, and what she had told her. Théodred laughed loudly for unknown reasons to Éomer, but he was confident that he would help him with Éowyn.

"I don't know why you find it amusing, but I have a problem as you can see." He said a bit frustrated to his older cousin.

"Problem? I can't see any problem at all. Why would be a problem a little sister clinging to you while you try to impress the young girls of Édoras?" replied with a smirk Théodred. "I have heard about your exploits with several servant girls of the palace…"

"No!"

"You deny that you kissed one hot looking seventeen year old girl in the cellar two nights ago?" asked curiously Théodred.

"No, I mean yes I kissed her but that's not my problem!"

"What it is then?" he required while he was cutting bread for both of them. He would not imply at that other anyone to prepare them something to eat as everyone was pretty hectic preparing the dinner.

"What if she passes all my tests? You know that I am due to join you in a month and that I won't be able to fulfill my promise to her! She will hate me forever!" replied Éomer to his cousin while he was preparing the ham they were going to eat with the bread.

"So that's your problem…" said Théodred in a strange tone. _What was that now? Jealousy? Happiness? Pride? Alas, I cannot read my cousin as well as my sister and friend, _thought Éomer. "I may be able to be help with your…problem." Continued Théodred, "I will certainly help you. And you are going to need all my help right away." He nodded to the exit of the kitchen.

Éomer turned around just in time to see his source of his problem enter the kitchen with a black cat in her lap. _Of course she would make it! _He looked to Théodred for help but all three had to run out of the kitchen "OUT! ALL OF YOU OUT! AND TAKE THAT CAT AS WELL!" shouted the head cook to them while waving a large spoon to them like a sword.

When they were in safe grounds again, Éowyn told them full of herself "A piece of cake!" she handed him the cat. "Now what should I do now? It is strength, isn't it?"

Éomer took the cat and looked once again to his cousin. "I was talking with our cousin, whom by the way did not greet at all, and we thought your next task…you should…"

"Carry the pot is in the main hall for the dinner." Cut in Théodred.

"Easy" told Éowyn and the exact same thing thought Éomer too.

"But you must not carry it down the hall empty. It must contain the dinner when you bring it there", continued Théodred. _That is difficult, problem solved. Thank you Théodred, _thought with relief Éomer. He looked with pity his sister while she bit her lower lip, all her confidence gone. The pot was always extremely heavy. Even the cook, that was a strong grown up man, managed to bring the pot to main hall with difficulty.

"And one more thing: do not spill it to your way here, we all want to eat." finished Théodred. He took his leave.

"And feed that cat!" said Éomer handing her the black cat back, before following their cousin.

Éowyn, once alone started with the easiest part. She fed the pour cat with some milk that found in the kitchen. Now she was standing in a corner of the kitchen looking the large pot with concern. _What am I going to do?_

The pot was looking like a mountain to her that moment. It was not a problem to not spill anything on the floor as she wasn't going to be able to move it. Despair crept up in her. This was her only chance, she had to manage it. Tears were upon her eyes and she did her best to stop them from pouring down. It was at that moment when a voice called her from behind.

"Young Lady! Is everything all right? Can I do anything?" _Éothain, of course, _she thought bitterly, he always appeared in the most inappropriate moment. _Or not…_ A smile appeared on her face as an idea entered her mind.

"I think, yes. I mean…you could help me…I need help…but better not." She answered sheepishly, eyeing him full on his face, trying to imitate the blushing faces that had the girls that looked like hens earlier.

"At your service, my Lady! You should always trust me!" Éothain answered so eagerly that Éowyn suspected him of wanting to ruin her plans on behalf of her brother. She waved these thoughts away, she had no other choice.

"It's that I have to move this pot to the hall, by the dinner time in order to prove something to my brother…" she explained to him fast.

"On your own!" he exclaimed in horror and awe "That's imposible!"

"No…I don't know…" _What were Theodred's exact words? Carry the pot is in the main hall for the dinner. He did not specifically exclude help, even though he didn't mention I can have either…_, she thought but she kept those thoughts to herself. "I mean, I can have your help, if you want to lend it to me…you would be the best…" she added reluctantly, but she had to be nice to him if she wanted her help.

"Of course! Let's carry it down the hall immediately!" said Éothain beaming with delight and pride. That baffled her, but she decided not to ponder about it either. "I will carry that part of the pot, and you the other one, my lady" told her over her shoulder while he was moving closer to the full, steaming, pot. He put his hands on it and pulled them back immediately. "It's hot!"

"Of course it's hot…" she told him while rolling her eyes. "Here, we will use those towels to catch it."

"Right…right…good thinking young lady." They picked up the pot and tried to move it. For a split second, she feared that they wouldn't even be able to lift it. But they did! She smiled a radiant smile to Éothain, forgetting how much she generally loathed him, but not today. Then, she remembered something else and she had to inform him of that as soon as possible. "We must not spill even a drop on the floor!"

"Yes sir! Er…I mean Lady, my lady" that made Éowyn more happy, she even started to like him, but she would not let him know that.

Slowly, they exited the kitchen and into the corridor. They progress through it with a few stops, they had to because their muscles would strain a lot. When they had almost reached the hall, where Éomer, Théodred and their uncle where sat, alongside some of Ridermark's finest riders, they heard voices from the kitchen. They had to be quicker or they would be caught. Fortunately, Éothain had the same thought as he quickened his pace.

Éomer was relieved. _It must have worked, or else she would be already here gloating and being a mocking little brat, demanding for her next ordeal. _He smiled to his cousin, but his smile froze to his face when a Marshal of his uncle said:

"Theoden King! Isn't that your niece, Lady Éowyn? What is she doing with that pot?"

They all turned their gaze to his annoying little sister. She was indeed carrying the pot, but it was alongside Éothain. _Damn him. _The pair moved near them and let the pot touch the ground. His friend seemed exhausted but she did not seem at all tired. On the contrary, she run up to him with a lot of energy.

"Look brother! Your next task is finished! You can train me now!" she yelled to him.

"What is this all about?" asked the King.

"I will explain later…"offered Théodred.

"But you didn't bring here alone!"Exclaimed Éomer.

"You said nothing of bringing it here alone!" put in Éowyn stubbornly "Our cousin's exact words were _Carry the pot is in the main hall…"_

"Did they have some kind of bet?" asked the same Marshal from before.

"No, exactly sir, but Éowyn wanted to…" the Prince's explanations were cut short by an angry Éowyn.

"NO! NO! NO! It isn't fair! I managed to complete your task about strength and cunning, if you ask me."

"And why is that?" demanded Éomer with his anger ready to explode at any moment…

"Well, I outsmart you and Théodred, didn't I?" she replied and Theoden's whole company burst out laughing.


End file.
